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Monday, February 22, 2016

The Mountain Man Rendezvous - Party in the Wilderness

By: Peggy L Henderson

Mountain men and fur
trappers blazed trails in the American West long before the wagon trains and
settlers crossed the continent. Lewis and Clark traded furs and good with the
Native Americans during their explorations in 1804-1805, and more and more
adventurers braved the wild mountains west of the Missouri to find their
fortune in animal furs.

The mountain man's life
was dictated by the seasons and the climate. Most trapping occurred in fall and
spring, when animal pelts were at their finest. When the season started, and
how long it would go, was ruled by the weather. Spring furs were most desirable
because the pelts were still thick from winter. When the quality of the pelts declined, the
season was over.

In order to trade in their
furs and buy needed supplies for the fall trapping season, the mountain men had
to make the long journey back to civilization, or to various remote trading
posts. The typical fur trapper would haul his pelts all the way back to St.
Louis, Missouri. There they would be traded for supplies for the coming
trapping season

In 1822, two men from
Missouri – businessmen, not trappers – advertised for “enterprising young men
to ascend the river Missouri…” to trap for beaver. William Ashley and Andrew
Henry formed the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, and employed trappers to work for
them.

In order to supply their
men and keep them in the mountains year-round, they brought teamster-driven
supply trains to the trappers starting in the summer of 1825. After rendezvous,
the fur-loaded pack trains headed back to Missouri.

Having a few hundred men
in the mountains who did nothing but kill beaver assured Ashley and Henry a
steady supply of furs to sell. At the same time the trappers, because they
didn’t have to make the long trip in from the mountains, were willing to pay
high prices for the supplies the company delivered. So Ashley and Henry made
money on both ends of the deal.

Each year, the location of
the meeting places, or rendezvous, was different.

What started as a
practical gathering to exchange pelts for supplies and reorganize the company’s
trappers into units who strategized where to trap, evolved into a month long
carnival in the middle of the wilderness.

The rendezvous brought not
only the trappers who worked for the fur companies, but also free trappers, women
and children, Indians, French Canadians, and travelers. Besides the trading,
there was a lot of socializing to do. Traders, trappers, and their Indian
customers, friends, and families, ate, drank, gambled, staged horse and foot
races, quarreled, fought, and made love.

Mountain man James
Beckworth described the festivities as a scene of "mirth, songs, dancing,
shouting, trading, running, jumping, singing, racing, target-shooting, yarns,
frolic, with all sorts of extravagances that white men or Indians could invent."

An easterner gave his
view: "mountain companies are all assembled on this season and make as
crazy a set of men I ever saw." There were horse races, running races,
target shooting and gambling. Whiskey drinking accompanied all of them.

Rendezvous was over when
the trappers had spent their year’s earnings on high-priced whiskey, clothing,
and supplies needed to last another year in the mountains.

1840 was the last year
that Rendezvous was held. Beaver had declined in number, and felt hats replaced
beaver hats in popularity. The trappers found other ways to make a living —
hunting buffalo for example — or guiding wagon trains.

Short excerpt from Yellowstone
Homecoming

Laughter,
loud voices, and gunshots reached them long before dozens of tents, lean-to’s
and tipis came into view. Hundreds of trappers, Indians, and even several
wagons with traders of all sorts of goods milled about the large open area.
Matthew kept a look-out for his comrades. Men he hadn’t seen in years called
out a greeting, others stared at him and Addy with interest.

“Stay
close,” he said when he caught the look of astonishment on Addy’s face as they
passed men who wrestled each other to the ground, knives drawn.

“Isn’t
anyone going to stop them from killing each other?” she whispered.

“Most
everyone here is drunk. I doubt anyone’s going to die. This is what goes on at
these gatherings. Men drink, carouse, and trade their furs. No one would think
to break up one of these fights.”

“Barbarians,”
Addy hissed. She shot him a disapproving frown when he chuckled at her comment.

“Osborne!
Matthew Osborne.”

Matthew’s
head turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Jim Bridger rushed around a
group of men inspecting a cache of furs. Matthew dismounted his horse, and held
out his hand in greeting. The trapper shook it. He cocked his head to the side
and looked at him suspiciously.

“It’s
Matthew, ain’t it?” he asked, uncertainty in his voice.

Matthew
laughed. “Yeah, Bridger, it’s Matthew.”

“I’ll
be,” the woodsman said with a loud laugh, and slapped his hand against his
thigh. “We thought you was dead.”

“No,
just took me a little longer to get here.” He turned to look at Addy, who still
sat on her horse.“I brought Miss Witmer
back. Where are my brother and her father?”

Bridger’s
eyes widened in surprise. “Zach done told us ya was kilt by them Pawnee. He
rode through here about a week ago. Said he was headin’ home to break the news
to yer folks.” He glanced toward Addy. “Had us a skirmish with them
bloodthirsty Injuns ourselves. Couple of the missionaries got kilt, and a few
got hurt, but the rest of us kept our scalps.”

Addy
gasped at Jim Bridger’s words.

“Not
your father,” Bridger said quickly. He pointed toward the west of the large
encampment. “He’s camped yonder with his wagons, past them tipis.”

Matthew
mounted his horse. “Thanks for getting them here safe.” He nodded to Bridger.

“Come
back and visit with Fitzpatrick an’ me fer a spell when you’re done with
Witmer,” Bridger called.

“I
will, but I’ll be heading out soon. I need to get home and let my folks know
that I’m not dead.”

Bridger
laughed. “Good idea. Ain’t every day a man comes back from gettin’ kilt.”

The search for and trapping of animals for fur was once a gigantic business. It certainly enticed people to go west into places that were untamed and unmapped to get those furs. Those who owned fur companies made a killing (literally and figuratively.) This was a terrific article, Peggy. I wish you continued success in all you do.

Thanks for sharing your research about mountainmen and the fur trapping business. My grandfather was a fur buyer. Trappers brought him the pelts and he spent the winter months cleaning and stretching them in his basement. It stank big time! When ready, he shipped them off to companies in New York where they were styled into fur coats, capes and stoles. I'm glad wearing furs has gone out of favor with most people.